HAPPY HOUSE

An ’80s suburban bungalow in Cape Town was given a charming makeover by its owner Kirsten Goss

WELCOME PARTY Prickly pear cacti and ceramic guard dogs are the first clue that the outwardly demure bungalow houses a fantastic collection of unusual objects and bold design decisions. Kirsten, pictured, with son Cosmo. HAT TRICKS (opposite) Juggling a busy family life with a successful design career, Kirsten’s love of colour and fun approach to style is apparent throughout the home. It can be seen in this playful wire coat rack and choice of accessories. The art above the coat hooks is by an artist from Seville.

Meet & greet Kirsten Goss (jewellery designer) and Clive Will (film-maker/ photographer), Farren, 15, Ozzie, 10, and Cosmo, one.

TALL ORDER Connection and flow were priorities so the pair chose to have near ceiling-height glass and steel doors fitted to link the rooms.

“I love the notion that we are having a regular family dinner but have disco lights on too. It’s all about being playful. ”

KIRSTEN GOSS

Rows of cacti, china dogs, a wacky cluster of retro flush-mounted lights on the wall, and a glass cabinet brimming with vintage cameras – all before you have stepped beyond the lobby. This is the kind of quirkiness that one has come to expect from the design dynamite behind Kirsten Goss Jewellery. Kirsten admits they took on the transformation of this home with the same out-of-the box intentions as she has when fitting out a new shop.

Capturing views of the Constantiaberg Mountains, clearing the garden and shifting the bearing of the house proved to be the making of the home. The ever-changing shades of the slopes now dominate the outlook, and Kirsten and her film-maker/ photographer partner Clive Will chose to contrast this placidness with a sweeping lawn dominated by a sexy circular pool and a series of round beds of water-wise plants.

“I call it our ‘ crop circle garden’ , ” laughs Kirsten. “We wanted it to be an inside-outside house. So much so that we chose to use artificial turf in the garden so it feels like a carpet. At night the lights make it a really dramatic space and our family moves in and out, and we don’t need to worry about the kids getting dirty. It feels like we have another room to use, ” she explains.

With children ranging from toddlerhood to their teens the home had to cater to flexible needs, but that didn’t mean they had to scrimp on fun.

The kitchen features light functions that can transform it from a family hub into a strobe and colour-filled ‘ party ’ zone at the flick of a switch and the near ceiling-height doors in bold colours reflect Kirsten’s weakness for striking combinations.

“Every time I fit out a new shop my house ends up looking like it, ” laughs Kirsten referring to the disco and strobe lights that are fitted into the kitchen cabinets and inspired by her ‘karaoke-look’ new store on Cape Town’s Foreshore. “I love the notion that we are having a regular family dinner but have disco lights on too. It’s all about being playful, ” she says.

“I’m not afraid of mixing shades together, ” she continues, “but you almost have to be deliberate about it to pull it off. I’m not big on decorating. I’m more about throwing something down to see if it works. ”

Kirsten’s partner Clive has added his own conspicuous contributions. A series of Clive’s eye-catching prints and his

ALL ABOUT FAMILY Kirsten wanted a ‘bomb-proof’ area where the children could watch TV and relax. “They run in from the pool and jump on the sofa; they have sleepovers here, ” she laughs. “Every home needs a space you don’t feel precious about. ” A striking mix of shades in the lounge gives it a playful temperament, but the choices of a clean-lined modular couch and graphic steel yellow coffee table ensures it retains a grown-up edge. The black and white photographs are by Clive and the pink and black Lesotho blanket is a collected piece.

“We have a penchant for the unexpected, the sometimes unloved and the brave, but we are also big on quality, longevity and comfort. ”

insatiable appetite for objets collected from artists, craftspeople and markets across Africa are curated throughout the home.

“I think we have a penchant for the unexpected, the sometimes unloved and the brave, but we are also big on quality, longevity and comfort, ” explains Kirsten of their design choices. “I’d say we lean towards a clean, bold style, but we also get a lot of joy out of eccentric pieces. ”

Furniture choices range from antiques, to mid-century modern and contemporary pieces, so the addition of oak parquet floors provided an anchor for the otherwise eclectic vibes. “The furniture might change as the children grow up, but I loved the idea of having a sophisticated floor that would stand the test of time. It gives the home a great foundation, ” says Kirsten.

With an open-plan TV room, dining room and kitchen opening onto the garden the flow of rooms is both effortless and practical. An expansive (and it has to be said, irreverent) lounge forms a link between the family zone and the couple’s bedroom/ bathroom – which is again a single zone that opens on to the garden. The children’s rooms can be found off a corridor that lies behind the kitchen.

Kirsten chose to replace all the doors and windows with oversized bespoke pieces made of oak or steel, and porthole and strip windows make for surprise views. This injects a plethora of natural light into the home and is indicative of the way she chose to experiment with shapes and scale throughout the property.

Kirsten has previously lived in heritage-style homes, so the switch to a more austere build provided the opportunity for a new design adventure. Brimming with fine art and vintage finds, Kirsten and Clive’s home reflect their down-to-earth sensibilities and makes for an engaging family home. Kitchen disco lights and all.

READY TO LOUNGE The sapphire-blue velvet bucket chairs, a pink occasional chair and mustard sofa are all striking pieces in their own right but are unified by the colourful area rug. The nest tables, modernist black pendant light, glass and wood cabinet, brass-topped side table and stuffed bird add an irreverent touch.

DINING (opposite) New and old can be seen in the bespoke glossy pink and white modernist console and vintage dining chairs. The Turned table is by South African furniture maker Gregor Jenkin. The photogaphs are all Clive’s work. STAIRS A red carpet leads to Kirsten’s office, which sits on top of the main bedroom. The colourful artwork is by Angela Murray. SIDE TABLE (right) The top is made of brass and is an heirloom piece.

MAIN BEDROOM (top left) This is one of Kirsten’s favourite spaces. “We can sit on the bed and look out on the garden and take in the mountain views. In the evenings it’s spectacular. You have the lights on the cacti, the mountain looming above – it’s a great space for sundowners, never mind sleeping, ” she laughs. FAMILY BATHROOM (top right) This room features a beaming Mandela portrait by Job Magwaza and bath by Villeroy & Boch. ENSUITE This spa-like bathroom is injected with unusual elements, like the colourful artwork. The floor and wall tiles with black grout give it a graphic feel.

ROOM TO PLAY An unkempt garden that masked the mountain views was replaced with a structured plot with artificial grass to give the family “an outside room the kids could use without the dirt and upkeep element” .

“We wanted it to be an inside-outside house. We chose to use artificial turf in the garden so it feels like carpet.

KIRSTEN GOSS

Back up One of the most common ways to renovate is to push the back of an old villa out, extending the kitchen, living and dining into a large open-plan space. Make the most of the opportunity and consider banks of large, floor-toceiling picture windows and sliding doors to let the light in and create that all-important indooroutdoor flow.

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